Faldo sets a course for South Africa

Nick Faldo he has signed a contract to design two ‘championship standard’ golf courses for the new La Repose Resort project near Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The La Repose development will sit in the heart of the Eastern Cape’s tourism belt, abutting the Addo National Elephant Park, close to the world famous Shamwari Game Reserve and only 45 kilometres from the marina town of Port Alfred. Faldo Design’s 36 hole layout will be the centrepiece of this £200million development and, even at this early stage, the six-time Major winner is confident that La Repose will go on to be recognised as one of the most spectacular golfing challenges in the region.Faldo commented, “The site that we have been given to work with is absolutely stunning; just a stone’s throw from a superb, pristine beach on the Eastern Cape, it is bordered on one side by the 60km Alexandria dune field (the biggest coastal field of sand dunes in the southern hemisphere) and on the other by green and sprawling parkland. In terms of pure aesthetics, this will be a wonderful golfing experience – we hope to have views across the Indian Ocean from almost every one of our holes.“That’s not to say that this project is going to be all about the vistas though; with some considerable changes in elevation and stiff winds blowing in from the Ocean, there’s plenty of scope for a very strategic layout that will have a real links feel to it in many places. Above all, I want to create a golfing experience that is going to demand a thoughtful approach, something that will inspire and excite players, whatever their ability. When set against this dramatic ‘sunshine coast’ backdrop, that goal is certainly well within our grasp.”The project is being developed by La Repose Investments SA (PTY) Limited and includes c600 hectares of ocean-front land with nearly 4.75 km of coastline. The land, formerly farms called La Repose & Ocean View, will house approximately 1200 residential units with a luxury spa and several standards of hotel accommodation.John Carney, the company’s managing director, commented, “We are delighted that Faldo Design has agreed to undertake this project and are really looking forward to working with Nick and his design team. We were impressed by the company’s responsive, professional approach and have been heartened by the obvious enthusiasm which they’ve shown for the project from its outset. This golf course will be the centrepiece for a first-class development and I’m confident that the finished product will perfectly reflect the bespoke quality and resounding distinction that we are hoping to achieve throughout the project.”La Repose will be a landmark development for the Eastern Cape, however the development is still subject to a rigorous re-zoning process and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that our professional team have already started. We believe that the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) initiatives we are putting in place, the care we’ve taken in finding the right site, the creation of thousands of short and long-term jobs for the area, and the very positive impact on tourism that the project will bring are all factors that will act in our favour.” Faldo Design www.nickfaldo.com

A new multimedia editorial feature from Syngenta Growing Golf, broadcast on World Environment Day, (5th June 2020) Professor Jenny Roe of the University of Virginia is joined by Olympic golf course architect Gil Hanse